"Six years ago I helped launch the Red Tractor logo. Last year it appeared on over £5bn worth of food.

The Red Tractor scheme claims it's Farmers must care for their animals by following the Five Freedoms welfare code (freedom from hunger & thirst; discomfort; pain, injury or disease; fear or distress; freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour).

This doesn't mean what you'd think it means - for example 'normal patterns of behaviour only mean normal for an animal caged and trapped with little or no light or mental and physical stimulation and deprived to fulfil basic intincts such as caring for their young and running or making a nest.

One look at the Red Tractor farms exposed by Hillside Animal Sanctuary show this scheme to by a farce and meaningless when it comes to animal welfare. Health seems to only apply to health that would endanger human life not the health of the animals (vetinary bills are expensive)

Bernard Mathews THE BIRD BATTERER: "By Jeremy Armstrong TURKEYS at a Bernard Matthews farm were thrown in the air and battered with a pole in scenes of 'appalling cruelty' filmed by undercover investigators. "

The footage was taken by an undercover investigator from Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Frettenham, Norfolk. He secretly filmed the farm workers on Friday in the shed, which holds thousands of birds for Bernard Matthews' multi-million pound empire.

The investigator, a 50-year-old cameraman who has worked extensively for the BBC, Channel 4 and newspapers over the past nine years, said: "This is by far the worst cruelty that I have witnessed. When he hit the birds it made a terrible sound. It was sickening."

It is not the first time alleged cruelty has been exposed at a farm run by Bernard Matthews, famed for his catchphrase "Boo tiful, really bootiful" and Turkey Twizzlers slated by TV chef Jamie Oliver in his crusade for healthier children's food.

Bernard Mathews was reported as having to take a massive paycut down from £1million to £595 million as he borrowed £130 million to buy out other shareholders after profits dropped 15% from £46 million to £39 million per year.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Vegan diets better for planet and people: CHICAGO, April 13 (AScribe Newswire) -- The food that people eat is just as important as what kind of cars they drive when it comes to creating the greenhouse-gas emissions that many scientists have linked to global warming, according to a report accepted for publication in the journal Earth Interactions.

Both the burning of fossil fuels during food production and non-carbon dioxide emissions associated with livestock and animal waste contribute to the problem, the University of Chicago's Gidon Eshel and Pamela Martin wrote in the report.

The average American diet requires the production of an extra ton and a half of carbon dioxide-equivalent, in the form of actual carbon dioxide as well as methane and other greenhouse gases compared to a strictly vegetarian diet

In their study, Eshel and Martin compared the energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions that underlie five diets: average American, red meat, fish, poultry and vegetarian (including eggs and dairy), all equaling 3,774 calories per day. The vegetarian diet turned out to be the most energy-efficient, followed by poultry and the average American diet. Fish and red meat virtually tied as the least efficient. The impact of producing fish came as the study's biggest surprise to Martin, an Assistant Professor in Geophysical Sciences. 'Fish can be from one extreme to the other,' Martin said. Sardines and anchovies flourish near coastal areas and can be harvested with minimal energy expenditure. But swordfish and other large predatory species required energy-intensive long-distance voyages. Martin and Eshel's research indicated that plant-based diets are healthier for people as well as for the planet. "

The Secret Society of Vegans started by vegans at a secret date at a secret location by a secret group of bvegans was thought to be merely an urban myth - a practical joke playing on the paranoia of the world's meat producers.

In the greatest of vegan ironies the Secret Society of Vegans has jumped right out of the clothes closet and released the secret address of their vegan website.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Heart patients at a leading hospital will be treated with chocolate if a revolutionary experiment is given approval.

Roger Corder, a professor of experimental therapeutics, is so convinced of the possible benefits of consuming dark chocolate that he has asked for permission to test the theory as part of the treatment for 40 cardiovascular patients.

Saturday, April 08, 2006

New UK guidance on food labelling for vegans and vegetarians builds on growing consumer demand for non-meat ingredients.

The guidance, drawn up by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) after consultation with stakeholders including The Vegetarian Society and The Vegan Society, will provide criteria for the use of the terms 'vegetarian' and 'vegan' on food labels for the first time. The FSA estimates that there are 3.5 million vegetarians and 0.25 million vegans in the UK. The guidance is designed to make it easier for these consumers to identify the products that are suitable for them.

It also aims to prevent some common mistakes by companies such as labelling drink or food that has been derived from animal products or fish as suitable for 'vegans' and 'vegetarians'.

"There has been a lot of confusion over the use of the terms 'vegetarian' and 'vegan' on food labels both in the retail and catering sectors," said Dr Richard Harding, head of the FSA's consumer choice, food standards and special projects division.

For more information and help on Vegetarian and Vegan Labelling see PEA PR

The Vegan fried egg has been made with a special blend of tofu for the egg white and a Jamaican fruit called Ackee for the egg yolk. "The final icing on the vegan cake was the new vegan omega 3 oil with DHA and EPA made from algae called V-Pure that gives the egg a perfect nutritional breakdown of essential fats and amino acids" says Yvonne.

Redwoods new Technical Director Fritz D'Embrio said "We have market tested Sunny Side Up tm in transport cafes on the M1 and truck drivers have been unable to detect the difference. Time and time again the feedback was 'That's the best healthy breakfast we've ever tasted!'"

"These vegan eggs can also easily be mashed with a fork with a little vegan mayonnaise and oil to make the most delicious vegan scrambled eggs !" adds Tony.

Joe King from the UK Vegan Society said " These vegan eggs will make a lot of hens very happy and make the great British bed and breakfast experience much more enjoyable for a great many more people. It's about time we were offered more than just porridge and beans on toast"

A spokesperson from Vegetarian Visitor the no 1 annual guide to vegetarian and vegan B&Bs , hotels, and vegetarian restaurants said "This will make life a lot easier for chefs - we expect to see our guide double in size by next year if this takes off"